The non-transfer related discussion across the various social media platforms and the BBS over the last few weeks has been a variety of arguments over the subject of the loyalty points that have been instituted over the last three or four years and adapted year on year to suit demand.
Dubbed ‘Parish Points‘ by some, these points have been used for various away games on a tiered system to ensure that the regular away-goers and long term fans get a higher priority than newer fans, as well as those who do not attend away games as regularly as others.
This had been, in the eyes of many including myself, a fair system until last season when the addition of loyalty points being purchased through the club shop or through food and drink outlets around the ground became known later in the season.
Issue number one for me would be that the random issuing of points last year through the club shop has hardly been fairly distributed, alongside the fact that it appears that very few members of staff in the Holmesdale or Arthur Wait were aware of this scheme last season.
Distributing loyalty points for online purchases whilst not offering points to people buying in person from the club shop is not only unfair, but it borders on the ridiculous. Especially while it was not even being clearly advertised to most fans, let alone those who are not regularly browsing the websites.
I have not even mentioned the fact that certain outlets were offering loyalty points in the higher end sections of the ground, I have no doubt that this must have been accidental. However, it is still unfair that those fans could receive loyalty points from last season whereas other sections of the ground could not.
Issue number two would be how £1 in the club shop is equal to one loyalty point. Those who went to Chelsea would have paid around £50 for tickets yet received only twenty loyalty points while also paying for travel.
I accept the argument that Palace do not receive any money for away tickets. However, is that really an argument that can be used against the most loyal of supporters? Those who travel week-in, week-out and would have had to witness a variety of nightmare performances since the existence of loyalty points back in 2012.
On another note, Norwich away is worth forty points in the Premier League this season but was worth just twenty back in 2013. Makes perfect sense.
If the so-called ‘Parish Points‘ scheme is to continue, and it seems that despite 95% opposition to it, it will, why not adapt it somewhat so that those that travel to ten games or more a season are still rewarded for the loyalty they deserve?
If an away game is to be forty points, then the equivalent could be that you would have to spend maybe £80 or £100 in the club shop for it to be worth the same. At least then, you are rewarding the time, effort and expense that these fans go through every week to get to these games.
Along with this is the small matter that fans that have traveled to Germany, South Africa as well as to other local friendlies have not received a single ‘loyalty‘ point. We all have our own definitions of loyalty, but for those fans who were fortunate enough to be able to travel to these places, why should they not receive loyalty points?
Surely, an easier option if you wish to reward fans for purchases in the club shop and in the stadium, would be offering a separate merchandise loyalty card would make perfect sense? It rewards those that go in the shop without hindering those who choose not to purchase food, drink and merchandise.
Personally, I feel that the club could solve this issue purely by doing the above. Fans get points for their money spent with the club. Fans get points for the tickets they purchase, and they can always go and get an away season ticket if they have the urge to want to attend a minimum of seventeen away games a season.
I will leave you with a little sum:
- Norwich away ticket (£45) + Chelsea away ticket (£55) = £100 + travel/expenses = 60 loyalty points
- Short sleeved replica home shirt (£50) + short sleeved replica away shirt (£50) = £100 = 100 loyalty points
Is that fair?
